Young Arthur was not the first to try to pull Excalibur from the rock. The legend tells us that many others had attempted to use their vast array of skills and powers in their lust for the bounty. The reward was certainly great. The one who could dislodge the sword from the rock was going to get the kingdom.

The most powerful people in the land all took their turn. The muscle bound titans tried to use brute force. The alchemists used their knowledge of metallurgy and geology. And then there were those who waited for an appropriate alignment of the stars. Some would even think this was their lucky day. But they all failed. Countless scores of them left the scene miserably discouraged because everything they had assumed would work was rendered utterly ineffective.

But one day after spending considerable time with his mentor young Arthur was finally encouraged to make his way to the rock. It was probably a damp, foggy morning. Arthur gazed from a distance as the others continued to line up one by one brimming with arrogant confidence that they knew how to unlock the prize. He watched as they all ultimately shuffled away … some in anger, some in despair but all in failure.

After a brief moment of inner contemplation, revisiting the beliefs that had been his source of strength, he approached the rock. As he stood about forty feet away he steadfastly fixed his gaze and his heart on the Excalibur sword. He was aware of all the ramifications and welcomed them. Even though every other attempt thus far had produced nothing but failure he never doubted for a single moment. He simply glanced back at his mentor one last time and then took the step.

Arthur had now been empowered not merely with cerebral knowledge and ladened down with an abundance of facts but rather with a life force sufficient to overwhelm any circumstance. He had evolved. Arthur had gained what everyone else lacked. He had FAITH. He just simply knew that he could accomplish the task.

The very moment that Arthur took his first step, overflowing with inner peace and assurance, the rock immediately released its grip. Although the rock had aggressively imprisoned the prize for a long time how wonderful is it to know that there is no power than can withstand a simple, unadulterated act of absolute faith. When Arthur placed his small hand on the great sword he pulled it out as though it had been resting in putty. His quest was not driven by thoughts the “kingdom”. He had loftier goals. He was recognizing his amazing opportunity and accepting his responsibility to embrace it.

If we need to explain this metaphor you are most likely struggling. If you are dismissing this legend as completely irrelevant for you in today’s world you are already determining your future as grossly mediocre. However, if this has sparked the fire within and you are again aroused to realize the sheer simplicity of personal faith then you will thrive in the midst of the chaos. It’s a law and no amount of doubters, failures or headlines can change it.

You can arm yourself with all the gadgets. You can even have a plethora of websites. You can attend every seminar, listen to every conference call and enjoy every webinar. Neither cerebral brute force nor an armament of world class marketing battle weapons will get you to the land of your dreams. You can get certified, clarified and glorified but no special alignment of your “stars” will get you to where you want to be.

In the end it is profoundly simple really. Do you believe in yourself or have you surrendered your personal power to all the negative forces that are plundering your potential for success? Not until you take back control of your life will any business tools have the capacity to create the tranquility of success. They will have no power if they remain external to you. But the moment you internalize them and embrace them as part of your “faith” system you will rise above any circumstance. The future already exists in your present.

You cannot think your way to better behavior but you can behave your way into better thinking!

About the Author

I have spent a lifetime as a motivational psychologist dealing with the impediments of human behavior. Why do some make it but most don’t? We all are suffering from what I am convinced is the Addiction of Avoidance Behavior. We need an intervention!

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About Dr. Cliff

After graduation I became a Professor of Business Administration at Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, ON, Canada.

My PhD doctoral thesis would ultimately determine my lifelong career. The thesis was titled "Predicting the Potential Performance of Real Estate Salespeople." It eventually evolved into a psychological profile called RESTPAC and became a major instrument for predicting the potential performance of real estate sales agents.